Preservationists want to hang a do-not-disturb sign on the historic Belleview Biltmore. Others want to tear it down.

That's the nickname residents have given to a pagoda-like entrance added on to this town's landmark Victorian inn by a former Japanese owner years ago.

"A lot of us will only go in the original front porch, which is now the rear of the hotel," said Johnson, 57.

The historic 244-room hotel inspires devotion from residents in this affluent enclave overlooking Clearwater's harbor. It is no wonder, then, that a developer's proposal to demolish the resort and replace it with condos and a smaller hotel has stirred local outrage.

"People come here for the scenic beauty and architectural history," said Johnson, who is leading preservation efforts. "Tearing it [the hotel] down would be like building condos around Yosemite Park."

Hailed in its heyday as the "White Queen of the Gulf" and considered the largest occupied wooden structure in the world, the ornate Belleview is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It remains a popular spot for weddings, meetings and social gatherings, and it inspires protective feelings from visitors and residents alike.

"It is so elegant; it would be a crime to tear down," said guest Jean Stange of San Jose, Calif.

Controversy in tiny Belleair, population 4,500, is usually limited to score-card disputes at the three 18-hole golf courses that make up nearly 40 percent of the town's 2 square miles. The quiet hamlet of winding streets grew up around the Belleview as one of Florida's first golf resort communities.

Now, the talk of demolition has many crying "foul" instead of "fore."

Last month, Belleview Biltmore Resorts Ltd., owner of the hotel, applied for a permit to remove the inn, its ornate pools and tennis courts.

The demolition application came shortly after reports surfaced that Tampa's DeBartolo Development had a contract to purchase the property to raze it and erect a smaller hotel and condominiums on its 22 acres.

There have been reports also that the developer would plow up the hotel's golf course and build 300 homes on it.

`OLD AND RUN-DOWN'

Executives for the resort described the Belleview as "old and run-down." There were reports of termite damage at the hotel, though it was built of heart of pine, which hardens with age.

"The Belleview definitely needs some love because the owners have let it fall into disrepair, but I don't believe the termite talk," said Mike Harris of the town's historic-preservation committee. "That wood is so old it's petrified. A termite couldn't eat it."

Neither the developers nor the hotel owners responded to interview requests. But the owners claim the hotel is losing $3.5 million a year, Belleair Mayor George Mariani said.

"It has suffered some damages," Mariani said. "Structural issues were discovered. And since the last hurricane blew through town, the roof has had a bright blue, green and brown mosaic of tarpaulins across it."

Preservationists, who view the hotel as a town treasure that should be protected, have put pressure on the mayor and other officials, including the city attorney, who resigned after it was noted that he had worked for DeBartolo in the past.

Mariani initially said the hotel -- where locals visit the ice-cream parlor, attend afternoon teas, drink at St. Andrews Pub and socialize on broad porches -- is privately owned and beyond city control.

TOWN CAN DO `LITTLE'

"The preservationists are in an uproar, but the town legally has little it can do," he said. "The reported selling price is $40 million. The town's budget is only $7.5 million a year, so that wouldn't be feasible."

Late last week, however, a new city attorney and the town's manager told commissioners that the city's comprehensive plan offers protections for the historic hotel that could prevent demolition.

If that fails, Johnson, who is the founder of three companies, has her own plan for protecting the landmark lodge, she said.

Belleair, where a mansion was recently priced at $14 million, is home to executives, entrepreneurs and even former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. So it didn't surprise many here when Johnson and her allies came up with a power move.

They buttonholed officials from DeBartolo and the hotel at a city meeting, pulled them aboard a rented bus and made a $40 million counteroffer.

"I think they know now that I'm not just a little housewife with a cause," Johnson said.

The businesswoman told the hotel owners that she had lined up a philanthropist and a developer to secure a loan. Hotel owners told her they would entertain her offer, she said.

"I have strong hopes that it is going to work because they know they'll have difficulty getting their demolition permit now," she said.

The Belleview has survived more than a century, but it has known other rocky times.